


Little Domestic Things

by lolahardy



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: M/M, Meet the Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-12
Updated: 2014-02-12
Packaged: 2018-01-12 01:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1180535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolahardy/pseuds/lolahardy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur and Eames decide to meet each other's families.</p>
<p>Eames' family is up first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Domestic Things

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this [gif set](http://lolahardy.tumblr.com/post/76372873551/clickthefrog-so-called-security-hitrecord-on)
> 
> Beta-ed by the wonderful and lovely [Leesha](http://darlingleesha.tumblr.com). Thank you! :3

 Arthur tapped his fingers against the steering wheel as he suddenly stopped and then looked at his watch for what had to be the millionth time.

Eames was late. Arthur wasn’t really surprised he was late, it was just...not a good day for Eames to be late.

"Of all the days..." Arthur said to himself.

His phone suddenly vibrated inside his coat pocket and he reached in, minding the seat belt across his chest as he felt his phone, gripped it and pulled it out. As he did all this, his mind kept thinking ‘Please be Eames telling me he’s close...or here...’ but of course as he swept his screen to unlock and began to read the text message, he felt himself deflate.

_‘Running a bit behind, love. Train is late. Go on without me, nan hates tardiness. I can swing it but not you. Be there soon.’_

Arthur groaned as he dropped his phone on his lap and gripped the wheel of the car again and dropped his head against it. He hit his head against it once, lightly and then sat back up. He took a deep breath and then texted Eames back.

_‘Ok. See you soon.’_

He pocketed his phone again and then looked at himself in the rearview mirror, running his hand along side his still perfectly slicked back hair as he then collected the flowers on passenger seat and got out of the car. He closed the door and tugged on the front of his dark gray suit and stole a glance at himself in reflection of the window and adjusted the noose of his black tie before walking towards the old fashioned English house.

It was brick with white window treatments, and had a small garden right under the window where the start of the spring flowers were starting to come up. He swallowed hard as he reached the door and then wrapped his knuckles against the wine colored door. He looked down at his shoes; glad he wore the black leather dress shoes with laces rather than his chelsea boots. He felt a bit more...grown up.

Despite actually being a grown up.

He and Eames had been dating for some time. Having fun first before they got serious. After a globe trotting romance of chasing each other, dodging each other, breaking up and then realizing they loved each other - they settled down with each other. They still worked, though Arthur tended to stay more on the legal side of dreamshare these days and after some time of living the domestic life, Eames brought up the topic of meeting each other’s families.

“You want to meet my family?” Arthur asked.

“Assuming you had one and you didn’t congeal out of designer suits, yes, I’d love to meet your family.”

Arthur punched him in the arm as Eames laughed and flinched back. Arthur had been surprised by the suggestion though not completely turned off by it. He did very much love Eames and after the initial shock, he thought it was sweet that he wanted to know where Arthur came from.

So they agreed and arranged said meetings with their respective families.

Eames was first since it was his idea and Eames explained it was just his mother and him, only child, his father had passed some years ago and he was still very close to his grandmother as well. Arthur would have to meet them both and he was all right with that until he was sitting in his rental outside of a London home by himself waiting for his significant other.

He looked back up just in time as the door opened and a lovely middle aged woman greeted him.

“Oh, hello! You must be Arthur. I’m Elisabeth. Come in!”

She was welcoming, her hair a dark blond color and cut to her chin. She wore a beige top and jeans but most of it was covered with a green floral print apron. As she stepped back to let Arthur in, he noticed she was carrying a mixing bowl in her other hand and she was barefoot as well. She closed the door behind Arthur after taking a glance outside and said,

“William not here yet?”

“Ah, no. He’s running behind but he said he would be here soon.”

“Typical. Well come on in, you can meet his nan.”

Arthur already felt as if he was messing up, not handing her the bouquet of pink and white tulips and he felt over dressed. Maybe a suit was too much after all. He cleared his throat and followed Eames’ mother into the kitchen and saw an elderly woman there, wearing a lilac blouse with a dish towel thrown over her shoulder as she lifted large lasagna noodles from a cooking pot into a tray. She looked up as Eames’ mother came back, Arthur behind her.

“Arthur, this is Eames’ grandmother, Edith. Mum, this is Arthur, William’s boyfriend. Oh, dear is that the right term?”

She turned back to Arthur, asking him as Arthur gave a nervous laugh and said,

“Yes, it’s fine.”

He then looked at Eames’ grandmother and decided to hand her the bouquet and the elderly woman cleaned her hands off with the towel on her shoulder as she smiled and accepted them.

“So, how did you meet our William?”

Arthur felt Eames’ mother looking at him, still stirring whatever was in the mixing bowl as Arthur answered.

“We work together. He asked me out a few times and I said no but he was...persistent.”

He gave a shrug and a tight lipped smile, hoping for it to be funny and he was relieved when he heard Eames’ mother laugh.

Eames’ grandmother chuckled a little and shook her head as she settled the bouquet on the counter and said,

“That’s typically William. Glad you said yes though. You’re a lovely young man.”

Arthur felt blush creeping up into his face as the older woman then waved him in to come closer. So Arthur did and felt her hand on the back of his shoulder, the scent of peppermint and baby powder coming from her - warm and familiar to Arthur as he kissed her cheek, feeling the tension from the room seeping out. When he stepped back, Edith smiled at him and said,

“Well, since William is late, we have time to finish dinner. Arthur, you’d be better off without that coat.”

“Oh, of course.”

Arthur shook his head to himself and began to unbutton his coat, draping it over the back of one of the dining room chairs before he undid his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves.

        Some hours later, after Eames finally arrived halfway through the dinner preparation, they ate, talked and looked over some embarrassing (although Arthur did not consider them embarrassing) prepubescent pictures of a thinner teenage Eames with perfect hair and a flawless complextion. Eventually they said good night to Elisabeth and Edith and started their drive to their hotel. On their drive, Arthur’s sleeves still rolled up and the top few buttons of his shirt undone since his tie was now folded up in his coat pocket, Eames looked at his lover’s profile and asked,

“Was it torture? Did mum and nan give you a hard time?”

“They asked a lot of questions but it was far from torture. Your mother and grandmother are very nice. They made me feel welcome.”

“Yeah, nan is a tough old bird but when she likes you, you’re in.”

Arthur smiled a little, glancing at Eames who had started almost as dressed up as he was. He had on black pants with faint flour stains on them from where he had helped his mother bake when he got there and a pale blue button down that was buttoned just enough to hide the tattoos on his collarbones and chest. Arthur suspected they were covered due to Edith and he would ask later.

“I’m glad they liked me. I was afraid they would take one look at me and hate me.”

“What’s to hate? You’re a professional, polite young man who brought my nan flowers.”

Arthur smiled to himself, feeling Eames’ hand brush over his cheek as he drove.

“You still have my family to meet you know.”

Eames smiled a little, settling his hand away from Arthur’s face to his thigh.

“Tell me what to expect so I don’t make a proper twat of myself.”

“Don’t correct my dad when he says football, play up the charm to my mom and compliment my sisters once. And bring liquor not flowers.”

Eames laughed as he said,

“Noted.”


End file.
